


Emrys

by IShipGayShit_SueMe



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Battle, Everyone finds out about Merlin, Evil, F/F, I love this tagging system, M/M, Magic Revealed, Merlin is amazing, arthur is so in love, better than wattpad for sure, it's so fun, morgana is not evil, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28427685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IShipGayShit_SueMe/pseuds/IShipGayShit_SueMe
Summary: Short, one-shot. Morgana is not evil, and after Uther's death she was made queen, and her girlfriend Gwen ruled at her side. They make magic legal.But Merlin still keeps his a secret, until Camelot is threatened by evil King Liam (OC), who wants to destroy magic, and his mighty army.
Relationships: Gwen/Morgana (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 106





	Emrys

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT - MORDRED NEVER HAPPENED, SO MERLIN DOES NOT KNOW HE IS EMRYS.

Morgana gripped the reins of her horse tighter. Her horse, Lithely, noticed and shook his mane, causing Gwen and several guards to turn in her direction. She assessed the village they were going through, her dark eyes darting from house to house. Gwen gently encouraged her horse forward, so she was next to her girlfriend and queen. “Morgana, I don’t think he’s here. We should head back; Arthur must be getting worried.”

Morgana simply nodded, and turned her horse round. It had been a year since Uther’s death. At first it was believed Arthur would be king, but he denied the honour and insisted Morgana would be better suited. Her first act had been to legalise the practise of magic. Having magic herself, she knew how good, and beautiful it could be. Only a few months after the start of her reign, a seer, similar to herself had come to her to offer wisdom.

The old crone had bowed before Morgana, who was sitting on the golden throne, which was decorated with sapphires, Gwen next to her on the identical throne, but Gwen’s embedded with emeralds. “Your majesties,” the old woman had said, for Gwen had been announced as Morgana’s consort. “I have seen something in my dreams, and wish to aid your in your quest to legalise magic and let magic prosper. You must search for the one the druids call Emrys. He is a powerful sorcerer, the most powerful to ever walk this earth, and a dragon lord. It is he, and only he, who can help the kingdom, along with the aid of the prince. He will save you in a mighty battle, against King Liam, who wishes to destroy magic. He is your only hope.”

Morgana and Gwen had thanked her for her aid, and begged her to stay for dinner, but the woman had smiled, and disappeared from the spot where she had been standing.  
Now, over half a year later, Morgana was sorely wishing that they had asked where to find Emrys as she, Gwen and the few royal guards began their way back to Camelot.

*

“MERLIN!” Arthur hollered, a crumpled shirt hanging from his finger. The doors to his room burst open, and Merlin came practically tumbling through, clumsy as ever.

“Yes?” Merlin had still, apparently, not grasped the fact that Arthur was royalty, and should be addressed as such. Arthur frowned, but secretly, he liked that Merlin did not see him as a prince, but merely as a man, albeit his master.

“Merlin, I believe I told you to check all of my shirts. So why am I finding holes in my best one?”

“Ah.” Merlin groaned inwardly. He knew he had forgotten something. “Well, sire, maybe the rats weren’t satisfied with all the bits of scraps left around. You know, you really ought to tidy the place.” Merlin pointedly looked around the room. “Terribly messy.”

Arthur scowled. “That’s your job, you idiot. I need to go to a meeting with Morgana and Gwen, see if they had any luck finding this Emrys. Tidy up!” Arthur left the room, the door slamming behind him.

Merlin sighed as he looked around, taking in the unorganised desk, unmade bed and disarray around him. Still, it shouldn’t take long with magic. Even though he would no longer be prosecuted for it, Merlin had told a single person about his magic. Lancelot knew, and Gaius, but Merlin, used to keeping it a secret, found that because it was no longer for fear of his life, enjoyed the secrecy, the privacy.

And at least he’d no longer be killed for it should someone find out.

Merlin heard shouts from the courtyard and went over to the window. Morgana, Gwen and the guards were back, but that wasn’t what was causing the shouting.A wagon, full of stone had collapsed onto one of it’s workers. The man was shouting, his legs crushed by the weight.

“Help him!” People were shouting, several trying to lift the cart, but the weight was too much.

Morgana gasped in shock, but quickly slipped off her horse and ran over. Thrusting a hand out, she shouted a spell. Green light shot from her palm and the cart lifted. Several people clutched the man and pulled him away.

“Take him to Gaius,” she instructed as she carefully lowered the cart.

Merlin quickly left, knowing Gaius would need his help.

*

Gaius’ eyebrows were pulled tight together as he muttered to himself. The man had passed out, from the pain, Gaius had informed Merlin, and it was not looking good. “His left leg is completely crushed, and his right is broken in multiple places.” Gaius looked at Merlin. “He will never walk again.” Merlin nodded, knowing what Gaius was saying. He glanced at the door, which was shut.

He placed a hand on each of the man’s legs and shut his eyes, concentrating. He felt warmth gather, at his heart, could feel the magic inside him, and directed it through his hands and into the man. The legs straightened, bones pulled back together and reformed. Merlin smiled as he felt the man’s leg heal under his hands. The warmth disappeared as he opened his eyes. The man was unconscious, but he would be fine.

“MERLIN!” Merlin cringed as he heard the stamping of Arthur’s boots, headed towards him. 

*

Merlin studied the prince as he poured the wine. Morgana and Gwen thanked him, but Arthur, engaged in adamant conversation, merely nodded at him when he poured the wine.  
Gwen had said he should quit, that although he enjoyed his job, he should stop serving them, but Merlin had said he was quite happy. 

And he was.

Although Arthur shouted at him and insulted him, Merlin knew it was friendly mockery. And Merlin insulted him back and was terrible at his job, but that didn’t matter.  
Because they were friends.

But Merlin felt a pang in his chest when he thought about this. Because Merlin knew he wanted more. He was in love with Prince Arthur, who would only ever see him as a friend.

*

Arthur nodded to Merlin, without pausing his conversation. 

“King Liam is recruiting an army,” Leon said gravely. “It will not be long until he attacks.”

“We must be ready to fight him,” Morgana sipped on her wine. “We must find Emrys. The woman said he was our only hope.”

Gwen turned to Arthur. “Do you know who it could be, Arthur? The woman said that it would be with your aid that Emrys saves us.”

Arthur snorted. “I know of no such person. Indeed, I think the woman must’ve been wrong. If he is meant to ‘save us’, why hasn’t he come forward. It’s been eight and a half months.”

Morgana frowned at her brother. “You are wrong, Arthur. I trust the woman, and therefore we need Emrys.”

Merlin stepped back and returned to the kitchens as they continued their debate, wondering if this Emrys would ever come to their aid.

*

Merlin hated hunting. He thought it was pointless, but here he was, a few days later, following diligently after Arthur as they crept through the undergrowth. In some ways, he actually liked hunting. The determined glint in Arthur’s eyes, the practiced, methodical way Arthur hunted down his prey, the way Arthur’s muscles tensed as he threw a spear…  
Okay, maybe it was Arthur he liked. He sighed, lifting his foot to avoid snapping a branch. 

Arthur suddenly stopped, and Merlin barely avoided walking into the back of him.

“What is it?” he hissed, the knights coming to a stop around him.

Arthur cocked his head to one side, listening intently. “Bandits,” he whispered under his breath.

As if on cue, an arrow sailed through the air and embedded into the tree, quivering a few centimetres from Arthur’s head. Cloaked figures tore from the trees, swords raised. Merlin gritted his teeth, hands raised.

Then he felt a sharp pain to the back of his head, and everything went black.

*

Arthur grumbled as he held a cloth to his arm, red blood spreading from a cut in his arm. He thought it was too superficial to even be noticed.

Merlin was gone.

He cursed under his breath, pacing his room anxiously. His doors opened with a squeak and Morgana and Gwen came through, their gowns flowing behind them.  
“Where’s Merlin?” They asked in unison.

Despite himself, Arthur smiled slightly. “No how are you Arthur? Are you okay Arthur?”

Both women frowned at him, and he remembered why he was slightly afraid of them. Talk about a power couple.

“I don’t know.” Arthur felt a wave of pain hit him, and collapsed into a chair. “I don’t know. He was there, right behind me, and then I turned and there were so many of them and he disappeared.”

Morgana started pacing, unknowingly following Arthur’s footsteps a few minutes previously. Gwen knelt by Arthur.

“We’ll find him, I promise.” Gwen wrung her hands; a thing Morgana knew meant she was extremely worried.

Morgana nodded. “We’ll send out search parties, the knights- he’’l be found.”

Arthur nodded mutely, sadness enveloping him. Merlin.

Merlin, who smiled when Arthur slipped in the mud, was laughing too hard to help him up but later wrapped a towel round him and said he didn’t mind getting dirty.  
Merlin, who Arthur swore he would protect.

Merlin, who Arthur loved.

And he was gone, taken by dozens of bandits.

*

Merlin awoke, a blinding pain thudding in his head. He blinked several times. And groaned. He was in a cell. There was a tiny window, letting in a small slither of musty light. There was a handful of mouldy straw scattered around the tiny cell.

Iron chains were cuffed to his legs and arms, weakening and stopping his magic. He could barely feel it, and knew it would be pointless to even try.  
He sunk back to the floor, curling up tight.

*

“HEY!” Merlin gasped awake. He turned to stare through the bars of his cell, where a shadowy figure was shouting at him.  
He managed to stand, and braced his shoulders.

“Why am I here?” He demanded.

The man was silent for a moment. “Because the king wants you out of the way. You are the only person who can stop him destroying Camelot, and he wants Emrys destroyed.”

“Emrys?” Merlin asked in surprise. “Emrys is in Camelot?”

The man laughed, a horrible, humourless scratchy guffaw. “You don’t know… You don’t know…”

“Don’t know what?”

“You. You are Emrys. And now you are trapped in the kings dungeon, unable to save Camelot.” The man, still chuckling turned and left. Merlin sunk to the floor again, a wave of hopeless disappointment crashing over him as his thoughts turned to Camelot, to Morgana, Gwen, and Arthur. Always of Arthur.

*

Arthur’s stand-in manservant tightened the straps of his armour. Arthur nodded at the man who quickly scurried away. Arthur rolled his eyes and stalked through the armoury to where Morgana and Gwen were preparing. Gwen was fastening her sheath and Morgana selecting a sword. There was the sound of running footsteps and Leon appeared.

“The bandits,” he said. “Were Liam’s men. Judging by what happened, it looks like he sent them to kidnap Merlin.”

“But what use would he have of Merlin?” Morgana asked. “Merlin isn’t a great fighter.”

Arthur nodded in agreement. “Let’s kill Liam, and get Merlin back.”

Morgana followed Leon out of the armoury, discussing tactics, but Gwen lingered. She placed a hand on Arthur’s arm. “We’ll get him back.”

Arthur nodded weakly, his heart pounding.

*

Arthur felt incredibly small as he surveyed the massive army of King Liam. It was at least triple the size of their own. He felt a hand on his arm, and turned to see Gwen, a troubled expression on her face. 

“I think we might need Emrys.” He muttered.

Gwen nodded.

*

Merlin pulled against the chains. He had to get out of these handcuffs. He pulled and pulled, but he was too weak, and his magic couldn’t help. He screamed in annoyance, the sound bouncing around his cell. He could save them all, but was stuck here in a stupid cell. He was supposed to be the strongest sorcerer or whatever, but was thwarted by iron.  
And now Morgana, Gwen and Arthur would die.

Arthur.

Merlin felt a surge of magic and his eyes flashed gold. Images of Arthur flashed through his mind, and he gathered his magic and pushed it out. The iron cuffs snapped open and fell to the floor. Merlin smiled, his magic bubbling under his skin. He realised how much Arthur meant to him, how much Gwen and Morgana and Gaius meant, and Leon and Lancelot and Gwaine and Percival and all the knights who had searched for Emrys, for him for months.

And now he would come. 

The wall exploded and sunlight flooded the room. Merlin stepped over the rubble, grabbing a discarded cloak. Wrapping it tight around his neck, he threw the hood up, and rose steadily above the trees, his eyes a brilliant gold, matching the trimming on the blue cloak.

*

Morgana sat on her horse, front and centre, Arthur to her left and Gwen to her right, an army behind her. It was a majestic sight; cloaks and flags billowing in the slight wind, armour glinting in the sun, and determined knights standing firm.

Across the giant plain was King Liam and his army. From here, Morgana could sense the smug confidence, and found she could blame them; their army was at least triple of her own.

But her army was fearless, and courageous and skilled. And it helped they had a couple sorcerers, including Morgana.

She still knew their chances were limited, and prayed a miracle would arrive. Or Emrys.

*

Merlin could see the two armies below him, swords drawn, ready to charge. His feet hit the ground as he faced King Liam’s army. Behind him, he could feel Arthur, Morgana, and her magic, Gwen and the army behind them. He pushed them out of his mind and took a deep breath. He could see in King Liam’s mind, knew how he enjoyed torturing people, killing the parents of poor children, of beating his slaves. He was a tyrant.

And Merlin could feel his magic cackling, and knew only he could stop him. The hood covered his face, and the cloak swished around his ankles.

“STOP!” He shouted, his voice deep and amplified, echoing to the skies. “GO HOME NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!”

A figure on a horse came riding through the tight ranks, a heavy crown on his head. Merlin scoffed slightly. Morgana, Gwen and Arthur were all dressed well, but none of them felt the need of an obscenely huge crown, or even a crown at all. King Liam laughed, and like the man in the dungeon, it was heartless and cold. “And who are you, to stop the might of my army?” He yelled a war cry, and the army behind him yelled it back, shaking the ground with the stomping.

“I am Emrys, sorcerer and dragon lord, and I have sworn to protect Camelot.” Merlin clenched his fists. “I warn you, turn back now!”

“NEVER!” King Liam yelled once more, raised his sword and charged, his army behind him. 

Merlin’s feet left the ground again as he hovered several feet up. Thrusting his hands into the sky, golden magic burst from them. The sky darkened as clouds gathered, and Merlin could feel the lightning waiting.

He pulled it down.

Swathes of the army in front of him were blown apart, the greedy men who wanted money were pulverised, the innocent who had no choice were saved as he skimmed their minds, the lightning fast and effective. Again and again he brought the lightning down, striking the army, until only King Liam and the innocent remained. King Liam looked terrified, and turned on his heel and ran for the forest before golden vines of light grabbed him and pulled him back, holding him in the sky in front of Merlin.

“Please, I beg you.” Liam whimpered. “Do not kill me.”

Merlin was tempted to spit at him. “Why do you deserve to live? After all those you have hurt?”

Liam continued his grovelling; his smug confidence gone.

“STOP!” Merlin shouted at the man. “Your fate is not mine to decide. Leave it to those who remain of your army, the innocents you forced under threat of their lives and their families.” Merlin lowered himself and Liam to the ground, and walked over to the men still watching the exchange, Liam hovering on his back was forced along.

“Should I let him live?” He asked them, waiting patiently for a reply.

Shouts of no filled the air. Merlin nodded, no compassion was inside him for the tyrant and bully.

“STOP!” Another voice echoed across the field. Merlin turned, the hood brushing his eyebrows and still covering his face. Gwen, mounted on her horse was riding over, followed by Morgana and Arthur. Merlin felt his heart soften slightly.

“Do not kill him, Emrys.” Gwen continued when she reached them, not recognising Merlin. “He has done much wrong, but killing him will make you no better.”

Merlin simply nodded. “What do you suggest I do?”

Morgana cut in, her voice hard. “He can rot in our dungeons, at Camelot.” Arthur voiced his agreement.

“Alright then.” Two knights came forward and handcuffed the once king as Merlin’s magic fell away.

Merlin nodded at the royalty and turned to leave when an arm grabbed his shoulder. It was Arthur.

“You must come back to the castle, Emrys, we owe you a lot.” Arthur offered. Merlin was sorely tempted, and only hesitated for a moment before nodding. He pulled his hood down slightly, and got on the horse attained from somewhere.

*

When they got to the castle, Merlin kept his cloak on, and was shown the way to the dining hall. He knew the way, but they didn’t know that. He was starting to regret coming, but Arthur was next to him, smiling and laughing about something Gwen had said.

“So, why did you come?” Morgana asked.

“Well, King Liam’s men captured me, and I was locked in their dungeons because I was Emrys. They knew about iron, and how it weakens magic. But I managed to escape, and knew you needed my aid.” Merlin explained briefly.

“You were in his dungeons?” Arthur’s back had straightened. “Did you see a man there, Merlin?”

“What?” Merlin stuttered, surprised they were asking.

“He’s Arthurs manservant,” Morgana explained. “He was kidnapped by Liam’s men as well. Arthur has been extremely distraught, but is too much of a barbarian to say so.”

Merlin turned bright red and spluttered.

“Do I know you?” Gwen suddenly asked. “You’re very familiar.”

Merlin prayed to anyone who was listening that they would not be mad. “Yes, you do.”

He lowered his hood.

*

Arthur kicked Morgana under the table as Gwen asked Emrys if she knew him.

“Yes, you do,” Emrys replied before lowering his hood. Bright blue eyes caught Arthur’s, the familiar face anxious, the black hair messy.

Morgana and Gwen gasped, but Merlin was looking at Arthur. 

“I’m sorry.” He said. “I should’ve told you, and I don’t really have an excuse it’s just-“

“You’re alive,” Arthur breathed, cutting him off. He smiled.

Merlin smiled too. “What- I uh yes.”

“How did you escape iron?” Morgana cut in. Arthur tried to kick her again, but she was ready, moving her leg under the table so he stubbed his toe on the table leg. He cursed under his breath.

“Well, I… uh, thought of you.” Merlin muttered. Arthur’s head snapped up.

“WHAT?”

“It all felt so hopeless and I knew you would be killed, all of you, and I didn’t want you to die, and then I felt my magic,” Merlin tapped his heart, “here, and it sort of flowed out of me.”

*

Merlin and Arthur wondered through the courtyard, both silent.

“So, it was us you thought about?” Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded. “But- It was mostly you”. He admitted.

Arthur stopped walking. “Me?”

“Yeah, I mean-“ Merlin mumbled.

Arthur grabbed his shirt, pulled Merlin into him and kissed him.

Merlin, of course, kissed him back.


End file.
